Page 182 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2023

HEALTHY LIVING
SICKLE CELL
182 | September 2023
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
AWARENESS MONTH
There is a well-heard-of disease that about 100,000 U.S. citizens are currently living with. However, many of the details of this disease aren't always as well known, and the general public should be aware of the plight of those potentially affected. So, in 1983, Presi- dent Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation designating September as Sickle Cell Awareness Month under the resolution of the Congressional Black Caucus of the
House of Representatives.
Sickle cell disease is a global health problem.
Though the disease can potentially affect any ethnic- ity, African Americans are most commonly affected, with the Latino population having the second highest incidence in the US. According to the University of
Mississippi Medical Center, about 4,000 Mississippians have sickle cell disease. The
largest concentration per capita is in the Delta, but the capital city of
Jackson has the most signifi- cant number.
The shape of healthy blood cells in the
body is biconcave, or similar to a
donut with a hole-less
flat cen- ter.
With sickle cell disease, the cells are sickle-shaped, or somewhat pointed, and hard. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. The sickled cells prevent this from happening adequately by sticking to the walls of blood vessels, causing blockages that slow blood flow. The blockages can lead to horrible pain and fatigue.
Long-term oxygen deprivation can damage the lungs, liver, eyes, brain, and more. Pain management is one of the most critical treatment measures, and the American Red Cross stresses that blood transfusions are essential for extreme pain management and secondary health complications. But there is a shortage of blood donors with the matching blood type of those affected.
Felice Knox is the National Imperial Directress for Sickle Cell nationally and locally for the civic organiza- tion Karun Court Daughters Auxiliary of AEAONMS. She feels one of the biggest problems with resources for sickle cell is “lack of knowledge of the disease. Sickle cell isn't always talked about. That means sometimes even people who have it don't know about how their blood carries oxygen, nor why they get tired or feel pain."
Sickle cell disease is inherited and usually diagnosed at birth. To inherit the disease, both parents must either have the sickle cell trait or another hemoglobin like beta-thalassemia. The National Institute of Health approximates that about 1 in 13 African Americans are born with the sickle cell trait.
For more information on sickle cell disease, the trait, symptoms, treatments, or how you can help
with awareness, you can contact the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation at scdfc.org.
story by Dr. Nickie Harris-Ray